Hundreds speak out against hate in city

Thursday

Feb 24, 2011 at 2:00 AMFeb 24, 2011 at 11:27 AM

PORTSMOUTH — After a week of organizing counterdemonstrations for the possible arrival of Westboro Baptist Church picketers outside Seacoast Repertory Theatre's presentation of the "The Laramie Project," the Kansas group proved a no-show.

Jeanné McCartin

PORTSMOUTH — After a week of organizing counterdemonstrations for the possible arrival of Westboro Baptist Church picketers outside Seacoast Repertory Theatre's presentation of the "The Laramie Project," the Kansas group proved a no-show.

"I'm glad they didn't show to dampen the party," said Jimmy Luibello, service organizer for the Men's Help Outreach Prevention Program at the Frannie Peabody Center in Maine. "If there's a few in the crowd, they're too dampened to speak up; if they came, they put their tail between their legs and went home."

Bow Street was filled with approximately 500 demonstrators carrying signs, playing music and sporting rainbow-colored paraphernalia in support of SRT's Black Box Theatre Productions' presentation of "Laramie," a play about Matthew Shepard, a gay student who was murdered for his sexual preference. Black Box's members are ages 21 and under.

The WBC had posted its intent to picket the play on its Web site early last week. A number of area church groups and individuals immediately began organizing a "loving and peaceful" counterprotest in response.

The crowd started arriving as early as 5 p.m., an hour before the WBC's posted arrival time. For two hours, the peaceful group conducted itself like a block party as participants sang, danced, had their faces painted with rainbows and peace signs, and milled about carrying signs such as "God Hates Figs" and "Hate—Free Zone." While all who were asked said they came to detract from the WBC's message, they did so with "greater purpose," as a woman with an infant in her arms stated.

Luibello came to support the young artists performing in the play, and "to stand in unity against hate and bigotry," he said. "And in light of all the teen suicides due to bullying, I came because the Westboro Baptists are bullying." Luibello said the gathering was a way to signal to bullied youths that support and acceptance are available.

"This is for all walks of life, not just the gay community," he said. "It's about tolerance."

Spenser Cattin of Manchester, a student at the University of New Hampshire, came out in support of tolerance in style. He and a group of fellow students held bedazzled signs decked out in glitter. His own read "Wicked Big Closet," entirely written in sparkles.

His buddy, Bill, bought the glitter and board at about 2 p.m. The group of friends spent the rest of the day creating signs.

Women Singing OUT!, a lesbian-based community chorus, stood on the sidewalk and sang, while Steve Martin and his sons, Jake, 15, and Ben, 12, of Amesbury, Mass., sat on a stonewall singing to Jake's guitar. "We came to spit back in the face of hate," the father said.

The Leftist Marching Band entered the street at full volume, midway through a speech by Scott Capel, one of the ART Out grass-roots demonstration organizers, and was greeted by whoops and applauds by the crowd.

When Capel returned to address the hushed crowd, he reminded all of the targeted play's theme. It's the true story of a young boy fatally beaten until he was unrecognizable, "all for the crime of being gay."

"Small-minded people are everywhere," Capel said. "But not here. Not tonight."

Dan and Jan Olmstead of Newfields are "proud parents of a gay son," who was one of the first to marry the morning gay marriage was made legal in Massachusetts. "It was very important to us to come out," said Dan Olmstead, holding his rainbow-colored umbrella. "You feel bad for the kids in the play. We wanted to support them."

Jan Olmstead said, while people online suggested the best way to deal with the WBC congregation was to ignore them, she worried a lack of counterdemonstrators would be perceived as a lack of care.

"I didn't want people to think we condone it," she said. "Fred Phelps (the WBC minister) is a hateful, hateful person."

John Forti of Eliot, Maine, came armed with pockets full of rose petals.

"When you encounter people that hate, it's best to hurl love at them," he said. "I didn't get to use them in opposition, but in support."

Matt Thornton of Barrington said, "I believe in the power of love. The message Phelps is sending is a false representation of life as hate. It's not how it is."

The fact the church members never arrived "doesn't matter," Thornton said. What does is the show of support on behalf of tolerance at a time "when we're already seeing the effort in New Hampshire to repeal gay marriage. So it's important to see this outpouring of support."

As the demonstrators dispersed, 240 people filed in to fill the theater to capacity and watch the Black Box production. About a dozen more sat in the lobby to watch it live on a television screen.

Black Box Artistic Director Ally Foy said the actors "were pumped," excited by the energy of the audience.

The Rep's artistic director, Craig Faulkner, stood at the concession counter, appearing a bit tired after the long week leading up to the show's final night.

"I'm overwhelmed by the response; it's not surprising, but overwhelming," Faulkner said. "I've never given more hugs or been hugged more in all my life. ...; I'm really proud of this community."

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